I'll Follow You Into The Dark
by Oxbeatofmyheart
Summary: Brooke visits Haley when she's in the hospital. BH oneshot.


_The title is based on the song "I Will Follow You into the Dark" by Death Cab for Cutie. _

Brooke Davis sat not-so patiently in the hospital waiting room. Her knee bounced up and down as she silently cursed herself for biting her nails. Every few minutes a nurse would walk by and she'd look up in hopes that there was good news. So far, nothing.

The young brunette looked around to see a disheveled Nathan cradling his head in his hands. She got up and hesitantly walked over to where the father-to-be was sitting, setting herself beside him.

Nathan looked over at her and she sent him a weak smile. His eyes drifted back to the floor as Brooke gently squeezed his shoulder.

"Do you want to go for a walk?"

He looked back up into her hazel eyes and thought for a minute before nodding. The two roamed the hallways with the faded green walls. Brooke remembered being in this place not too long ago, for Rachel.

"God, this place is so depressing."

Nathan was silent as he walked with his hands in his pockets. Brooke didn't know what to say to him; she wasn't good at the whole comforting deal. Sure, she'd been there for Peyton when Anna died, but that was different. She and Peyton were best friends back then and she knew just the way to cheer her up. But now, now she was in charge of trying to comfort her new best friend's husband.

Why did that have to happen to Haley? Of all people, why Haley? She was the sweetest, most caring person Brooke had ever known and probably will ever come to know. She'd made mistakes, yes, but who hasn't? Haley was so selfless and admirable and giving. She didn't deserve this.

"She pushed me."

Brooke gave Nathan a confused look, urging him to elaborate.

"Haley. She pushed me out of the way of the car." He gave a bitter laugh. "I risk the life of my wife and child for some stupid money deal and Haley saves my life."

"Nathan, what do you - ?"

"Did you ever see this tall black guy at any of the games? With a white guy with big muscles following him around?"

Brooke thought for a moment. She could picture them and remembered that she'd seen them talking to Dan. She nodded.

"I was in trouble with those guys. They told me that I needed to lose the championship otherwise they were going to hurt me. Hurt Haley. I was going to lose the championship – but I thought of Whitey. It was his last year as coach and he wanted this win so bad. I just, I couldn't do it. I didn't think they were actually going to hurt Haley."

They'd wandered back into the waiting room and a doctor examining his papers came out into the room, walking up to Nathan.

"Your wife is out of surgery now and is in stable condition. She may have one visitor at a time."

Nathan nodded and disappeared to Haley's room.

Brooke sat back down again and thought about what Nathan said. It was his fault that Haley got hit by a car. It was his fault that they might almost lose the baby. Did Haley even know about his so-called arrangement?

She couldn't help but feel angry and overprotective. Her Tutor Girl, her Roomie, was hurting and it was her very own husband's fault.

Brooke wiped at the tears that were falling from her eyes. Haley had been so good to her the past year. She'd helped Brooke out so much and was such a great friend. And what had Brooke done to repay her for everything? Yes, she gave Nathan and Haley their apartment back, but did she ever sit Haley down and tell her how much she meant to her?

She needed to.

--

Brooke slowly pushed the door open to Haley's room. A single tear streaked down her face as her eyes fell upon the bruises, the bandages, the casts.

Walking to her bedside, Brooke sat down and gently took Haley's hand. She took a deep breath and began in a shaky voice.

"Hey, Hales. It's me, Brooke. Um, we miss you so you better come back to us soon."

The blotchy faced brunette could no longer control her tears. They streamed down her face, one after the other, falling on Haley's limp hand. Brooke rested her head on the bed.

"Haley, you don't know how much you mean to me. There are no words to describe how grateful I am to have you in my life. I gave you hell at times, but you never failed to be there for me when I needed it most. Because of you I'm a better person, Hales. You have the goldest, purest heart and you're a beautiful woman, inside and out. I wish I could be half the woman you are."

Brooke wiped her tears again and brushed her fingers across Haley's face, softly and soothingly.

"You're going to have a baby, Hales. I know the doctors say they can't know whether it's okay or not yet, but you'd put your life on the line for this baby that's not even born yet. And, since you're still here, I believe little baby Scott is, too. I can see it now, Haley: Nathan's going to teach him basketball and you're going to pinch his cheeks and tell him how much you love him in front of all his friends, embarrassing the crap out of him. And I'll be there, too. I'm not going anywhere, Hales. If anything, this experience has shown me how much I need you in my life. Being human is your saving grace, but having you is mine. I'd be lost without you."

She looked at the clock and realized she'd been in the room for more than ten minutes.

"I wish I could stay longer, Hales, but there are other people that need to see you. I'll come back later, and hopefully you'll be up by then. I miss your voice, Haley. We all do. So wake your little body up so you can sing us all a tune."

Brooke smiled to herself and stood up. Leaning down, she kissed the top of Haley's forehead. A tear fell from her eye onto her cheek.

"See you soon, babe."

She walked out of the room and gently closed the door, watching her for a few minutes after exiting. From now on, she'd be there for her, guarding her with her life.

She owed Haley that much.


End file.
